Don't call me an expert on parenting! I can't seem to get my kids to listen to me any better then person next to me. However, there are SO many great resources out there to help us parents out. I've found many great ideas on other blogs and lots of things I think I would like to incorporate into my own parenting.

So here is a list ofParenting Tips, Tricks & Ideasthat have inspired me....

Busy Bags have been a MUST have since our kids were little.Take them anywhere you have to WAIT to entertain the kids. They are perfect when we go out to eat. Check out the awesome ideas shared at this Busy Bag Link Party!Toddler Busy Bag Activitiesat My Delicious Ambiguity

More Grab-n-Go Bags... these are mommy's survival kits.Mom's On the Go Bagsat Better Homes & Gardens

I have another amazing guest to share with you today. Beth is here from Hungry Happenings. Her blog is CRAM PACKED with completely adorable and fun recipes. She has shared many of her great ideas at the weekly For the Kids Friday link party here at Sun Scholars, and currently is running a giveaway on her blog for her book, Hungry Halloween. Beth is SO creative! If you haven't found her blog yet, GO NOW! You don't want to miss the fun stuff going on at Hungry Happenings!

Isn't it nice to dig into a plate of visually appealing food? As an adult, I look for food that looks fresh and vibrant in color, or perhaps warm and inviting. Our kids are bombarded with so much exciting visual stimuli these days that it's hard to get their lunch or dinner to live up to the colorful world they live in. Over at Hungry Happenings, I develop themed cuisine primarily for holidays and special occasions, but who says lunch on Saturday afternoon can't be a special occasion?

Last month I was asked to teach a classroom full of 6-10 year olds how to cook something simple and fun. Our menu included hot dog butterflies, pretty melon flowers, and peanut butter fudge caterpillars. The kids in the class had never eaten food that looked like something other than plain food, and their eyes lit up when I showed them what they would be making. During the class, they were very focused as I helped each of them make their own lunch. They couldn't wait for their creations to be ready to eat, and when we finally sat down for lunch, I found that even the pickest kids in the group ate their creations.

At Hungry Happenings this month, I'm working on recipes to go along with a Creepy Crawler menu for Halloween or bug themed parties and will be sharing recipes for food that looks like spiders, caterpillars, bumble bees, ladybugs and more. Some of the food is a bit creepy, but some is just plain cute. Speaking of cute, today I'm going to share with you one of the recipes from my class for Butterfly Crescent Dogs. So, grab your kids and head into the kitchen to share some fun.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner

Unroll crescent dough and cut in half widthwise. Lay one piece down on a cutting board.

Set cut hot dog at one end. Roll dough around hot dog. Cut off just enough dough to cover the hot dog. Pinch seams of dough together, removing any excess if needed. Roll into a nice smooth log.

Use heart shaped cookie cutter to cut two hearts out of the dough. Cut off tips of each of the hearts. Set hearts together on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use small cookie cutters to cut designs out of the hearts (butterfly wings.)

Set crescent dough wrapped hot dog in the center of the wings. Use a food coloring marker to draw on a face. Note: if you don't have a food coloring marker, you can wait until the butterflies are out of the oven and use ketchup or mustard to create a face. You could also use black sesame seeds for eyes and skip the mouth.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Press two chow mein noodles or potato sticks into the top of the butterfly's head to create antenna. Serve hot.

First of all... I would like to welcome little Scarlet Claire to the world.

My sister gave birth to this beautiful little girl just two days ago. I'm an auntie again!!!!

Thanks for all of you who have shown interest in Guest Hosting at Sun Scholars! I appreciate you all so much, and can't wait to share some of these other great blogs with my readers!

I'm feeling that creative itch... and HOPING our things arrive soon. Our shipment should have docked in China two days ago... so my fingers (AND TOES) are crossed that we have our things soon.

Until then... I'm LOVING what you have to share... including these awesome features from last week! BTW... I add all of these features to the A++ tab above, for a collection of features shared at the weekly parties. I also select links to share at the Sun Scholars Facebook Page each week. Come "LIKE" SunScholars on Facebook. See what I'm pinning on Pinterest. Subscribe to my e-mail updates!!!

1) I would LOVE for you to first be a follower of my blog. (And why wouldn't you want to be?!)

2) Grab my For the Kids Fridays Button and place it somewhere on your blog. Be sure to link back to me!

3) Link up as many KID-RELATED activities, games, recipes, parties, gifts, clothing you've created, crafts, traditions, lessons, and so on... that you would like to share. Please add a different link each week. They can be old or new... this is just a place to share ideas for our kids to enjoy. Bonus points to those that serve some educational purpose too! Link must be to the specific post, and not your general blog page. Please don't link to your store.

4) Share the love and comment on at least one other link. Everyone loves to get feedback.

Ok... this one was TOO easy for me to pass on.After seeing all of the awesome ideas out there inspired by the Angry Birds game, I had to put together this collection. Of course now my son is BEGGING me for an Angry Birds Party. Not until January, so I have some time to plan.